Hare Krishna!
All Glories to Guru and Gaurang!
Dandvat to all the Devotees!
My friend is in a problem...need a spiritual & 'Shastra Sammat' solution for that...so putting my problem in the lotus feet of all the senoir Vaishnavs to please help my friend...
My friend is a working girl, living in PG, having long duty/ shifts hour...She is doing 16 rounds from last two year & 25rounds daily without fail from last 3 months..left non veg two years ago & eggs around one & half year ago...goes to temple once or twice a week...do tulsi puja in morning at home...now the problem is that she is totally dependent for food at her PG owner, they cook veg food only ( but with onion & garlic)...financial condition is not so good that she cant take food outside (which is not easily available also)..This food can not be served to Krishna also :(...she tried to be on milk diet 'one time in a day' but milk does not suits her, she fell ill..by curd she has cough problem..she has to take PG food which make her feel guilty...after our constant request her PG owner has allowed her to cook for herself..but 1. she has very less time to cook..2. she is so tired to cook food which take so much time... Now can anybody please suggest her what she can take in food which she can make easily/fast or can buy from market and Nutrisious also...and can server to Krishna also...
Hope you all will give solution to this problem...my friend is getting weak day by day..i am so much concerened about her health...Please Please Please help us...
Regards
Meera
Replies
Hare Krsna,
His divine grace, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has given advice on this topic during his conversations with other devotees. The following quotes are extracted from the article: http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Walks/MW118.html. The problem that your friend is facing is not easy to solve indeed but fasting at least as much as possible without getting weak for service is recommended. This will save time also since less cooking is required.
But again depends on what your friend can adapt or cope with.
Devotee (1): You said that if we fast and we can't do our work and we become weak, than this is not so good.
Prabhupada: This is not good, "not so" not, absolutely bad.
Devotee (1): So, our devotional service comes first?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (1): So if there is, let us say there is grain and rice being offered to the Deities, and one finds that if he eats this, his service is impaired. Like so many times I've seen, practically myself if I overeat grains in the summertime, I drive around doing my service and I'm falling asleep.
Prabhupada: Then which foodstuff suits you?
Devotee (1): Fruits are more... they keep me more active.
Prabhupada: So you take fruit. Fruit is also offered to the Deity. There are varieties of prasadam. So whichever suits, you can take. Anything artificial is bad.
Yadubara: Srila Prabhupada, in Los Angeles they are charging money for the prasadam, and we find that it's cheaper to buy our own prasadam and offer it ourself.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Yadubara: They are charging money in Los Angeles for the prasadam each meal, so we find it is cheaper to...
Prabhupada: Prepare your own?
Yadubara: Yes.
Prabhupada: So you do that.
Harikesa: Yes. They will not let a householder take unless they pay money first.
Yadubara: 75c for noon prasadam and 50c for breakfast.
Prabhupada: So if you can prepare cheaper, you can do that.
Yadubara: All right. [break]
Brahmananda: It's a type of cannon. [break]
Yadubara: You mentioned before that it is better that we not do so much cooking. If everyone is separately cooking, then that is such a time-consuming thing for everyone.
Prabhupada: But you said that "If we cook, it is cheaper." Then? If it is cheaper, convenient, then you cook. I said that "You save time. Don't cook."
Tamala Krsna: The cheapest thing is to cook one thing for... cook for everyone. That is the cheapest and quickest.
Hari Bol,
thank You Jay Krishnan Prabhu for such like a nice link with such like a nice dialog!
I also know one young Mataji who works whole day plus stays in PG. And the same problem with onion and garlic.
So she requested other Devotee who works with her to bring Prasadam for her also and gave money. In this way she used to eat fresh Prasadam everyday.
Or else there might be some Devotee Mataji who could agree to cook for her also who stays near to her place.
I had also such like situation when i was a student and used to stay at the hostel. Of course i do not suggest for her to do what i did but what to do, we have to protect our bhakti by following 4 regulative principles.
I used to eat dry fruits and diary products and once in a week cooked food when i used to go to the Temple. But it was really austere. (not recommended).
Best thing if she is satisfied with simple job and take nice care of her health both material and spiritual. Job near to her own place, closer to her family or Devotees even though with less salary. Otherwise with such like a life style she will weaken her health and money will go more for medicines.
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Onion and garlic are the worst things which should be eaten. It is recommended even not to take that food which stayed near to the onion for a long time what to speak of consuming it internally?!
Garlic strengthens our material consciousness. Garlic makes us to think that we are this gross body. In this way we will try to enjoy all our senses.
And it is recommended very much not to eat food which is cooked by nondevotees. While they cook they taste it themselves which we can not offer to Krishna. From nondevotees we can take only cooked milk sweets nothing else (cooked).
Of course it is all for safe and quick progress in Krishna Consciousness.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna.
It would be good to eat what is available to her, taking Krishna's name. Situation is difficult. But she can offer Milk, Yogurt, dry fruits, fruits to Krishna and then have the prasad.
wake up early and cook your own lunch to carry.